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My One Word for 2018 #OneWord2018

Well, I did a bang up job last year with my One Word for 2017: Accept. I didn’t. I raged, raged against the…everything. It was brutal choosing a focus for the year and I faltered. Failed. Time to move on.

As I’ve mentioned numerous times, I don’t do ‘resolutions’. However, I do believe (previous failure aside) a focus for the year is an excellent idea.

This is how I figured 2017 would work out. It did not. But, still, props for trying:

Choosing ONE word for the entire year? Not easy. I finally narrowed it down to three:

Present

Engage

Accept

I want to be more present in my life and I realized that, if I fully engage, I can be. And to engage, I need to accept some things. (This is how I worked it out, anyway.)

Therefore, my one word this year is:

Accept

I’m going to try again.

I’ve really had a time of it, this year, choosing a word. I even thought of cheating and picking two (or three). But, if I’m going to do this thing, I’m going to do it right. So I’ll work it out again.

I like the words I narrowed it down to:

Present

Mindful

I had passing thoughts of choosing something like Assertiveness, Determination, or Focus but they didn’t feel quite right. It’s just that I’ve been yammering on this past year about standing my ground, choosing me, sticking up for myself, keeping on target, saying “NO”, etc. so these seemed good, too.

It’s all about me, right? Sure. Why not? I went into this weird line of hyphenated “self” stuff:

Self-Esteem

Self-Motivation

Self-Care

Self-Awareness

Self-Kindness

Self… Er…

Self… Um…

Self-Centered

Self…ish

Crap. Never mind.

But I do need something “self”-like.

So, when continuing to narrow down my choice, I decided it must include me.

I’m sick of being stressed-out and overwhelmed, of not doing what I love, of doing things I’d really rather not be doing. I’m sick of ALL OF THE THINGS!

Every year around this time I say, “It’s going to be different.” Well, gentle readers, it’s not. It’s quite the same. Which is to say, I let myself get caught up in a shitstorm of stress and overwhelm by choosing others instead of myself, by over-committing, by working too hard on things that don’t bring fulfillment or happiness, by helping everyone but me.

By choosing Self, I’ll be incorporating all sorts of other wonderful words I’ve been thinking of here: Awareness, Mindful, Focus, Kindness… How can I have Self in front of me and actively abuse or dismiss it? I cannot. It would be awkward. And weird. And mean.

As I said last year, this is not going to be easy. I’ve got to change my whole mindset to get to the point where Self is what I focus on first. I’m up for the challenge though.

I’m taking my Self out of here, wishing you a Happy New Year and hoping you all can find a perfect OneWord for 2018. ❤

Have you ever taken part in the One Word Challenge?

If you haven’t, why not try it? Or think on it a moment and leave one in the comments. What could your focus be this year? I’d love to hear what your One Word is for 2018.

57 thoughts on “My One Word for 2018 #OneWord2018”

I think it did! 😉 I mean, after last year’s word not working out so well, I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Now the real challenge is going to be keeping it in mind and staying focused on it. Thanks, Willow.
Happy New Year! 🎉

That is not easy Sarah. I have been pondering a word since I read your post but it requires a lot more thought that I anticipated. I like your word – self – you focusing on the self will be interesting for all of us and I hope predominantly for you. Have a Happy New Year.

No, it’s not easy. Have you come up with one? It was a challenge but I think keeping my focus on this is going to be tough. Hope it’s interesting, to say the least, and dare hope it’s enlightening and helpful. Thanks, Irene. 💖 Happy New Year, to you as well. Wishing you health and happiness.

I love your choice, Irene. I thought about focus, goal-oriented, action-type words but ‘passion’ is so much better. It makes me feels all those things and more. A passion for life! Can’t wait to see your book in print. (No pressure.) 💖

I hope you can hear my applause, nay, standing ovation, all the way from my place to yours. Good on you, Sarah. That’s a great choice. I hope you do better with it this year.
I haven’t given enough thought to which one word might suit me but it will have something to do with improvement, continuing, stepping out and stepping up; ‘yet’? Maybe. I’m not good at resolutions, just greater focus on my goals. If only life would let me. 🙂 But I want the distractions too. 🙂

Thank you so much, Norah. You are always such a wonderful support system. A standing ovation! I’ll take it! 🙂 I hope I do better this year, too. And focusing on Self seems to be working…so far. Others may not like it but, alas, that does not fit in with “Self”. So I deal with it or put it on my list of things I will not give my time/energy to. Feels freeing just saying that.

I don’t care for resolutions. That’s why l like the idea of focusing on one thing, one word, to help sort of guide me. Some distractions can be nice. 🙂 I like “Yet”. It’s promising.

Love the honesty and the determination to keep at it, Sarah. Succinctly, I’ll just say “I get it,” but also that I know from experience that you can figure out how to be a giving and generous person to others and yourself — guilt free.

Hi Sarah,
I have thought and thought and I think for me it will have to be STOP. Stop faffing, stop procrastinating, stop doubting, stop wasting time, stop hovering, stop wavering. But then I thought it could be START. Start planning, start thinking, start believing, start hoping, start WRITING.
Thanks for the kick-start to actually move onto another level. I am writing but not seriously, and not what I really want to write. I spend too much time faffing around reading and not enough concentrated time on what I really, really want and love to do. Yep, that W word. Or maybe my one word should just be WRITE…
Take care of your SELF, Sarah. You deserve to “chouchoute” (beautiful French word for “pamper”) yourself as much and as often as you can.
Happy New Year!

That’s a great choice: ‘Stop’. I would have said, ‘Pause’ or something but ‘Stop’ is much more forceful, powerful, I think. I could definitely use the ‘stop doubting, worrying, stressing…’ but I also like ‘Start’. Two sides of the same coin, anyway. Choose the one that make you focus on you and your goals or whatever. 🙂

So glad you gave this some thought. That, alone, is a good focus, isn’t it? ‘WRITE’ is an excellent choice.

What a lovely word: Chouchoute. ❤ I will do just that. Thanks, Juliet. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Sarah.
I hope that this year you will be able to fulfil your goals. I am not sure what I would choose as I change my mind often. I am going to go with ‘believe’ though I think. It applies to so many aspects of my life at the moment. I need to believe I am capable of losing weight, and passing my assignments!

I recently came across this idea, when I started getting into bullet journaling. I’ve decided that my word for this year is Fight. Last year I laid down and gave up, and consequently, lost a lot. I regret a lot of last year. But this year I’m going to fight for what I want, and what I need, and for my voice to be heard.

Oh, that’s a great word! I was pondering words like ‘fight’ and ‘assert’. I’m hoping that, in choosing ‘self’, I will fight for and assert myself. You are so right. Let your voice be heard. Thank you and Happy New Year! 🎉

Good one, Sarah. I hope you have a successful year honoring the self. “Balance” was a favorite of mine for years, but it require and ongoing series of “crises” to achieve, so I’m not doing that again. I liked “no” for a while, followed by it’s more positive cousin “yes!” I think I might go with less pressure this year and pick “Whatever.” There’s a peaceful feeling to that one, no pressure. 😀

Ugh…balance. The bane of my existence. Did you ever find it? I tend not to. I like ‘no’. Also, ‘yes’. But (and I’m starting to sound like a human Magic 8 Ball) I love ‘whatever’. Nice and peaceful. 💖 Happy New Year, my friend.

I chose the word focus after a scatterbrained year where I did too much and too all over the place. I was hitting numbers but not quality and I was having a shit time focusing… so voilá, the word focus came to me not because it’s typical but because when I get angry, I focus. and I AM angry at myself, at writing things that aren’t up to what I want to be my par. For thinking I was done and looking to the next project. For doing the octopus dance…. so not a happy bunny. To boot, I added a mantra you can read if you want to see if I’m keeping true to it lol. Regardless, here’s to your wonderful self and to a proper year for the Snark Shark. 🙂

Yes! I love ‘Focus’. That’s the plan here, anyway. Focusing on One Word and seeing how that works out. I hear you, fellow scatterbrained Ravenclaw. I also know the I’m-so-angry-I’m-focused thing. You are in good company… We will both focus and stop dancing the octopus. 😉 Happy New Year, my friend. Here’s to a great one! Cheers.

Sarah, I have been thinking about one word for the past half hour, and I got nothin’. However, I suspect a fabulous word will come to me at 3:00am tomorrow, which I won’t remember when I get up later in the morning.

However, I do wish you all the best for 2018, and I hope this year will be much kinder than 2017. 🙂

Did you come up with one? I’d love to know what yours is. 3 am sounds about right for a great idea (or word). Thank you. Happy New Year, my friend. 💖 Wishing you health and happiness and lots of fine films.

Good for you! I am totally on board with you pursuing your self. Changing your stance is difficult, as I am experiencing with my determination to be more empathetic this year. (I am totally not an empathetic person.)

You might consider listing everything you’ve got on your plate, and then having another person go through it with you. I’d be happy to help, because as you know, I’m pretty good at not getting roped into what I don’t want to do. We could take each line and ask why you’re giving your f*cks to it. Are you doing it to bring yourself joy? Or are you doing it because you feel some sort of obligation? And then analyze the stuff over why you might feel that obligation and see if there’s a way to offload it. If you can’t, then perhaps you can file whatever project into a time slot in your life that comes after your self-care. Perhaps that does lead to being late to deliver on something (sorry about that), but people usually understand that crap comes up. And if they don’t, then they’re toxic and you don’t want them in your life anyways. Repeat the process as stress returns. And I really do suggest bringing someone other than yourself into it to help with the external perception of obligation analysis. Otherwise, you might just convince yourself that you do need to keep doing it.

I think my word for last year was maybe. Maybe that wasn’t a good choice. 😀 I think I’ll pick the word “Done” for this year. I’m done hearing whining from my son (this means I’m making changes in myself to make things better so he doesn’t whine). I want to be done with all the illness and injury. I will get my first draft of my big book done. And I will finish (done) at least one digital painting this year. There. Set goals? Done.

I obviously missed last year’s post because I’ve never considered having a word for the year. Not sure if it would work for me, but it is good to have something to focus on. And, Sarah, focusing on the self is a pretty good way to go. If you don’t focus on doing what’s right for you, you’ll never be able to properly do the things you want to for others.
I’m looking forward to seeing the progress you make. Have a great year!

Perfect choice, Sarah. Maybe this is where I got the idea, but I decided not to do resolutions this year and choose a word instead. Mine is focus – more on being in the moment, what I’m working on, the people I’m with.